Hopper for fuel stokers



Sept. 6, 1938.. c, SCH LL v 2,128,968

' HOPPER FOR FUEL STOKERS Filed May .4, 1956 ma 6/0? Sch 0// wag n 5 Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES HOPPER FOR FUEL STOKERS Clark Scholl, Springfield, Ohio, assignor to The Steel Products Engineering Company, Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 4, 1936, Serial No. 77,771

1 Claim.

The invention relates to solid fuel stokers and more particularly to hoppers therefor.

Stokers such as those commonly used in domestic installations, for example, are ordinarily 5" provided with a hopper adapted to contain a reserve supply of fuel sufficient to meet the requirements of the furnace for at least a number of hours. Coal or other solid fuel is conveyed from the hopper to the combustion chamber of the furnace by a screw conveyer or other power operated mechanism. The supply in the hopper is replenished by hand at more or less regular intervals. In the interim period between replenishments it is desirable that the hopper be substantially hermetically sealed. This sealing of the hopper is desirable not only in order to prevent coal dust sifting out into the furnace room but also to prevent gaseous products of combustion from escaping into the room after leaking from the combustion chamber through the conveyer mechanism into the hopper.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a hopper for stokers or the like including a closure mechanism of such character that the hopper may be tightly sealed against the egress of dust laden air or other gases from the interior of the hopper, and which is so simple in operation that even an unskilled operator using the same in a domestic installation will not be likely to neglect to actuate the closure mechanism to its closed position.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention'to provide a stoker hopper having a hinged cover and a simple rugged easily manufactured toggle mechanism adapted to lock the cover in its closed position when the toggle is substantially collapsed and to maintain the cover firmly in its open position when the toggle is substantially fully open.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following descripti'n proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claim annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the invention, referencemay be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hopper for a 60 solid fuel stoker embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the upper portion of the hopper shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the cover in its open position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view 55 along the line 33 in Fig. 1 illustrating the details of the operating mechanism for the cover of the hopper.

In the illustrative form shown in the drawing, the invention is embodied in a hopper ill for a solid 'fuel stoker particularly designed for domestic use. The hopper is substantially rectangular in form being made of sheet metal and provided with side, top and bottom walls. Coal or other solid fuel is moved from the interior of the hopper it) through a conduit H by a screw conveyer E2 to the combustion chamber (not shown) of a suitable furnace. The screw conveyer I2 is rotated by an electric motor actuated driving mechanism l3 mounted on the front of the hopper l0 and having a sheet metal cover M extending thereover.

Fuel is shoveled into the hopper ID in order to replenish the contents thereof through a rectangular opening formed in the front portion of the top wall of the hopper. This opening is closed by a substantially rectangular cover or closure member [5 pivotally supported by hinges Hi. It will be noted that the portion of the top wall in which this opening is located slants forwardly so as to make the same more readily accessible. A peripheral flange ll extends about the cover l5 and overlies the adjacent edges of the opening formed in the hopper ID. A sealing gasket l8 made of rubber or similar resilient material extends entirely about the inner edge portions of the cover l5 and is firmly clamped between adjacent portions of the cover and the hopper when the former is in its closed position. As shown in Fig. 3, the gasket l8 preferably includes a hollow bead portion l9 positioned between the cover I 5 and an inwardly extending flange 20 formed on the hopper i0 and extending entirely about the opening therein. The bead I9 is supported by a flat integral body portion 2!, which is clamped to the cover l5 by a clamping strip 22 and screws 23- In accordance with the invention, the cover i5 is provided with an operating mechanism for holding the same securely in either its open or closed positions. In general, this. operating mechanism preferably includes a toggle linkage which is disposed substantially in its collapsed position when the cover is closed and substantially in its open or fully extended position when the cover is open. In the particular construction illustrated this toggle linkage includes a ally connected by a pivot pin 29. The other or free ends of the links 24 and 28 are rigidly secured to the opposite ends of shaft 30 which pivotally connects the same to the hopper III for movement about an axis substantially parallel with the pivotal axis of the cover I5. The shaft 30 is journaled in a cylindrical sleeve 3I having reduced end portions 32 fitted in registering holes 32 formed in the side walls of the hopper ID. The outer ends of the sleeve 3I are swaged or otherwise bent over the adjacent edges of the holes 32 in order to provide a tight seal so that no dust-laden air or other gases can escape from the hopper through these holes.

The links 25 and 28 are pivotally connected to the cover I5 preferably at points closely adjacent but laterally displaced from the points of pivotal connection between the links 25 and 21, and the hopper I0. Thus, as best shown in Fig. 1, the toggle linkages formed by the links 24-25 and 2'I28 are disposed slightly beyond their. collapsed positions when the cover I5 is closed. When in this position the links 24 and 25 abut against a fixed stop 33 extending laterally from the side of the hopper I6 so that the cover I5 is locked firmly in its closed position. with the gasket I8 under compression as shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen that any pressure applied to the lower side of the cover 55 tending to raise the same will tend to move the toggle linkages in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. l. The stop 33 effectually prevents such movement, however, so that the hopper cover can only be released and moved to its open position by a deliberate manual actuation of the operating mechanism. At the same time no latches or looking bolts are required.

The pivotal connection between the link 25 and cover I5, in the particular construction shown, includes a cylindrical bearing member 34 secured to the flange I! of the cover I5 by a bolt 35. The bearing member 34 is provided with a shouldered cylindrical outer bearing portion 36 on which the end of the link 25 is journaled. A similar pivotal connection is provided between the upper end of the link 28 and the cover I5.

Manual operating handles 31 are preferably provided for moving the cover I5 to its open and closed positions. The handles 31 illustrated are mounted on the pivot pins 25 and 29 substantially in alinement with the pivotal connection between the links of the respective toggle mechanisms. In opening the cover I5 the handles 3! are used to swing the links 24 and 25 as well as the links 2'! and 28 forwardly about their pivotal supports. The toggle linkages are thus moved into their full collapsed positions, this movement being accompanied by a slight downward movement of the cover I5 which is permitted by a further compression of the gasket I8, and the linkages are then moved to their full open or extended positions in which the links are substantially in alinement.

A second stop 38, preferably secured to the hopper I0, is so positioned as to prevent further movement of the linkages slightly after they have passed their fully extended position. The cover I5 is thus maintained firmly in its open position as shown in Fig. 2 so that it will not fall and njure the operator upon accidental contact therewith during the filling of the hopper. If a shovel accidentally strikes the forward and more exposed sides of the links it will simply force them more firmly against the stop 38 without having any tendency to close the cover.

In closing the cover I5 the manual operating handles 3! are moved forwardly to swing the toggle linkages back to a position just beyond their collapsed or superimposed position, described above, so that the cover is again firmly secured in its closed position with the gasket I8 clamped under compression between the cover I5 and flange 20. Finely divided fuel, gaseous products of combustion, or the like are thus effectually prevented from escaping out of the hopper.

It will thus be seen that in the mechanism illustrated the toggle links 24 and 21 move through arcs of a little more than 180 degrees so that the toggle linkages move from a position a little beyond their full open or extended position to a second or closed position a little beyond their collapsed position. The resilience of the gasket I8 not only serves to form a tight seal about the edges of the cover I5 but also facilitates the locking movement of the toggle mechanisms so that the cover I5 may be firmly locked in its closed position as described above. It will also be noted that a minimum number of parts are utilized in the mechanism described and that they are not only economical to manufacture but also sufficiently rugged in construction that they are not likely to be damaged by an unskilled or inexpert user.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail there is no intention to thereby limit the invention to the particular construction illustrated but on the other hand the appended claim is intended to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

The combination with an open hopper adapted to contain a reserve supply of fuel for a stoker or the like, of a hinged cover for said hopper, and a manual operating mechanism for said cover comprising first and second links located exteriorly of said hopper pivotally connected to each other at adjacent ends and respectively to adjacent points on said hopper and cover at their other ends, said links being disposed in superposed position with said points of pivotal connection substantially in alinement when said cover is in closed position, the point of pivotal connection of said second link to said cover being disposed closer to the hinged connection of the cover than is the pivotal connection of said first link to said hopper, a manual operating handle connected to one of said links for swinging them forwardly away from the hinged connection first through an over-center or alined pivot position in opening the cover, then into a second alined pivot position with said links disposed substantially end to end, and finally a substantial distance past said second alined pivot position, and a fixed abutment contacting one of said links in its final position to prevent further movement thereof, whereby said cover is locked in both its open and closed positions by the overcenter movement of the linkage.

CLARK SCHOLL. 

